Zambezi Sunsets

A sunset cruise on the Zambezi River is an absolute must do when visiting Zimbabwe and the Zambezi. It is an experience unlike any other when visiting Africa.

Arriving in Victoria Falls Airport, Zimbabwe was significantly different from any other place we had arrived. The main reason was that the whole airport – including domestic and international departures and arrivals, as well as customs – was probably only slightly bigger than an average house in Melbourne. It was crazy, but we immediately loved it.

Victoria Falls really made us feel like we were in Africa. The road had caution signs, warning drivers to watch out for crossing elephants and cheetahs. Our tour guide instructed us that to the left of the highway was where animals lived, and to the right of the road was where the villages were. It seemed totally unbelievable that the only thing dividing the two areas was a thin road. We were amazed!

Upon arrival at our hotel the staff were extremely helpful and efficient in organizing our sunset river cruise for that evening. We were picked up from our hotel and driven down to the river bank, where we embarked on a leisurely 3 hour cruise around the Zambezi. It was amazing. This was my first time seeing hippos in their natural habitat and in the wild, and I was just amazed. They were all over the river – some alone and some in groups swimming together. As silly as it sounds I was so excited just to see the famous hippo ear wiggle in real life!

It was just so exciting to be cruising along the river, and out of nowhere spot two little ears wiggling above the surface. If you’re not searching it would be so easy to miss them! We even saw an elephant on the bank of the river (even though it was so far away it was still exciting)! The cruise concludes with by far the most beautiful sunset I have ever seen in my whole life. It left me speechless and just so thankful that I had finally made it to Africa!

You can find out more about the Zambezi River Cruise here. The Sunset Cruise was a great price, and also included food and drinks whilst on the water. Each boat is equipped with a bar, and you can try a famous Zambezi Lager whilst on board. It’s the perfect place to do it! Our tour guides were extremely knowledgeable about the wildlife we were observing as well as life on the river and the area. Seeing wildlife this way is a completely unique experience, and I can not recommend it highly enough. A must-do when spending time in Zimbabwe!

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Emma is a travel photographer and blogger, living in Melbourne, Australia with her husband Thom in between adventures. She started Explore Shaw to share her experiences, travel tips and destination advice, and to inspire others to travel the world and their own backyard whenever they can.